The Chaos Gods
The Chaos Gods, also called the Dark Gods or the Ruinous Powers, are powerful beings of an immaterial parallel reality known as the "Realm of Chaos" or simply "the Warp", created and sustained by the emotions and souls of every living being of the material universe. Although they are god-like beings of unimaginable power and resources, they are by nature monomaniacal and completely single-minded (formed completely of a single emotion or concept) as well as dependent on the emotions of mortal creatures for their power and continued existence. Unlike the raw energy of Chaos, which is mindless, unthinking and undirected by intelligent purpose, the Chaos Gods have achieved intelligence, personality and purpose. The Gods of Chaos are typically capricious, selfish and vain, demanding absolute loyalty from their servants and rewarding deeds when they wish, in whatever ways they deem appropriate. They are also highly seductive, and those who embrace them find themselves increasingly corrupted, both spiritually and physically. Origins In the early history of the world, the powers of Chaos had yet to form into distinct entities. At this time, the emotions of mortals flowed and ebbed as water does in a stream. As the mortal races grew and prospered, so did the strength of their emotions. Eventually, the gods grew to such a point where they could act independently of the general flow of emotions and thus became the Gods of Chaos. They reached into the dreams of mortals and demanded praise and servitude in order to increase their own power, as the more one emotion is exhibited (in both thought and action), the stronger that god becomes. The pantheon of Chaos The Great Powers of Chaos There are many Lesser Powers, but these represent the most commonly-recognized and worshipped of the Ruinous Powers. These entities are enormously powerful, and seek to extend that power into the realm of mortals. They do this by attracting followers amongst mortals through promises of power, wealth, immortality, or whatever else a potential servant might desire. *Hashut - The Bull God; the Lord of Blood; the Father of Hate, Rage and Bloodshed *Set - The Old Serpent; He Who Coils Through The Roots Of The World Tree; the Defiler of the Dead Relationships between the Gods The Chaos Gods are rivals of each other-- the constant war between them mirrors the struggle between their followers in the material universe, and vice versa. Victory in mortal battles lends more power to the relevant god, although often victory is not necessary, just the shedding of blood and human sacrifice. Every Great Power has its own opposite number; another Chaos God who draws its power from a diametrically opposing concept. As a result, the Chaos Gods are almost constantly at war with one another within the Aethyr, vying for power and the immaterial planes. Despite their myriad differences, the Great Gods of Chaos have the same goal: total domination. Such absolute power cannot be shared, especially among gods. This struggle for dominance is known as the Great Game. Daemon The Gods of Chaos are able to devote a fraction of their power to create daemon, whose appearance and character reflect the god's own nature. These daemons may be reabsorbed into the god at whim. The least of the minor gods may be so limited in their power that expended their power to create a daemon means their entire power is expended; in effect, the god becomes a daemon!